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Archives for July 2019

Florida Panthers Sign Three Players

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Both Anthony Greco and Dominic Toninato decided not to file for arbitration earlier this month, but they won’t have to wait through a long contract negotiation. The pair of minor league forwards have both agreed to one-year, two-way contracts with the Panthers. According to PuckPedia, Jayce Hawryluk has also signed, accepting his two-way qualifying offer worth $874K at the NHL level.

Greco, 25, made his NHL debut last season for the Panthers while also putting up a career season in the minor leagues. The undrafted forward scored 30 goals and 59 points for the Springfield Thunderbirds, leading them in both categories. That kind of offensive production is more than anyone saw coming with Greco, who never cracked 23 points in a single season at Ohio State University where he played for four years.

Toninato is a bit of a different story. Originally selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2012, he also went the NCAA route for four years. After signing with the Colorado Avalanche however, he quickly made it to the NHL and suited up 37 times in 2017-18. Incredibly, Toninato was held to just two assists in those 37 NHL games and has just three points total over 39 contests. After a trade brought him to Florida it seems unlikely that he’ll get a real shot with the Panthers before proving himself in their minor league system.

That may not be the cast for Hawryluk, who will be battling for a roster spot right from the beginning of the season. The 23-year old played 42 games for the Panthers last season and recorded 12 points, establishing himself as a legitimate NHL option. Whenever he was in the minor leagues he dominated the competition, and looks about as ready as he’ll ever be for the big stage. The 32nd overall pick from 2014, Hawryluk has even more competition for the last few spots on the roster thanks to free agent additions like Brett Connolly and Noal Acciari pushing everyone down a peg.

Ville Heinola Signs Entry-Level Contract

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The Winnipeg Jets have signed Ville Heinola to a three-year entry-level contract, after picking him in the first round of June’s draft. Heinola played last season in Finland’s top professional league and will end up back there this season if he doesn’t find a way to crack the Jets’ roster right away. That would mean his contract will slide forward at least one year and not kick in for the 2019-20 season.

What Heinola did last year as an undersized 17-year old defenseman was extremely impressive, suiting up not only at the highest level in Finland but also finding great success there. He registered 18 points in 41 games overall, while also competing internationally in the U18 and U20 World Junior Championships. The Finnish team took home the gold medal at the U20 tournament, where Heinola was a real contributor.

Even standing just 5’10” 176-lbs, the future looks bright for the cerebral defenseman. Heinola excels at moving the puck quickly out of trouble, making the right decision almost every single time to not only diffuse an opportunity in his own end but send his teammates the other way with control. That decision making ability proved strong enough to even compete against professionals and should let him quickly develop into a real option for the Jets.

Amazingly, that opportunity may present itself sooner than one would have thought just a year ago. The Jets’ blue line has been ravaged over the past few weeks, watching Tyler Myers and Ben Chiarot leave through free agency and trading Jacob Trouba to the New York Rangers. Though they did bring back Nathan Beaulieu on a one-year deal and have Neal Pionk still to sign, the team’s defensive depth is now razor thin. If Heinola can prove that he’s ready for the NHL there’s no reason why he couldn’t be competing for ice time very soon in Winnipeg.

New Jersey Devils Sign Josh Jacobs, Brandon Baddock

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The New Jersey Devils have re-signed a pair of minor league players, inking Brandon Baddock and Joshua Jacobs to one-year, two-way contracts. Both deals will carry a $700K salary at the NHL level.

Baddock, 24, was originally selected in the sixth round five years ago and has established himself as one of the top physical presences in the AHL. Fighting 17 times so far in his relatively short minor league career, the 6’4″ forward is a throwback to a previous era of professional hockey. Scoring just ten points last season through 67 games for the Binghamton Devils he can’t be relied on for much offensive production, but is obviously considered valuable enough to earn another NHL deal.

Jacobs meanwhile was a much higher draft pick, selected 41st overall in 2014. The big defenseman played one year for Michigan State and one year in the OHL, but has been in the Devils’ minor league system for the last three seasons. Jacobs even made his NHL debut in 2019, playing 14:54 against the Boston Bruins in late March. While he could potentially get into another handful of games as an injury replacement, Jacobs is likely ticketed for the AHL once again.

Sonny Milano Signs With Columbus

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Sonny Milano has accepted his qualifying offer from the Columbus Blue Jackets, signing a one-year two-way contract worth $874,125 at the NHL level. Milano will still be a restricted free agent next summer, and is no longer waiver-exempt.

The 23-year old Milano was originally selected 16th overall by the Blue Jackets in 2014, but has still not been able to establish himself as a full-time NHL player. In 70 games at that level—55 of which came in 2017-18—he has 15 goals and 24 points, but has spent most of his short professional career at the AHL level. Admittedly an strong offensive player at the minor league level, Milano hasn’t really been able to dominate that level like many expected him to coming out of the USNDTP and OHL.

2019-20 may represent his best opportunity in the NHL though, as the Blue Jackets will be looking for offensive players to replace some outgoing forwards. Artemi Panarin, Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel have all left for greener pastures, opening up room for a player like Milano to see powerplay time and show what he can do. The fact that he would need to clear waivers should all but guarantee him a roster spot, as he would almost certainly be claimed by a team willing to give him a shot.

In order to really establish himself at the NHL level and carve out top-six playing time, Milano will need to focus on more than just his own scoring opportunities. He’s proven in the past that his shot is an asset and he can score from difficult angles and situations, but nine assists in 70 career games for a player expected to drive the offense just hasn’t cut it. He also needs to engage more on the defensive side if he expects to be playing against top competition. In all, this very well could be a make-or-break season for the young forward.

Dylan Cozens Signs Entry-Level Contract

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Though he won’t be participating in the Buffalo Sabres’ on-ice camps while he rehabs from thumb surgery, Dylan Cozens has signed his three-year entry-level contract. Cozens was the seventh overall pick in this June’s draft, but was given a 2-3 month recovery timeline following surgery ten days ago. If the 18-year old forward returns to the WHL this season, his contract would slide forward a year.

The Sabres were thrilled to get Cozens in the draft this year, after he was considered a potential top-3 pick at points during the season. Though other forwards leapfrogged him by the time draft day rolled around, there’s a ton for Buffalo fans to get excited about with the young center. One of the best skaters in the entire draft class, Cozens used his speed and size to steamroll the competition in the WHL, scoring 34 goals and 84 points in 68 games for the Lethbridge Hurricanes. He was a real difference maker for the Canadian U18 team as well, winning gold at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup and adding nine points in seven games at the U18 World Juniors.

Unfortunately the injury means that Cozens likely won’t be able to compete for a spot with Buffalo right out of training camp. If that’s true and he returns to Lethbridge, he would also likely be on the U20 World Junior team in December and could potentially be a candidate for WHL MVP. His game is already relatively refined at both ends of the rink, but with some time to add even more strength he could quickly prove too much for junior.

Andre Burakovsky Signs With Colorado Avalanche

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The Colorado Avalanche have inked one of their restricted free agents, signing Andre Burakovsky to a one-year contract. Burakovsky decided not to file for arbitration earlier this month after being issued a $3.25MM qualifying offer, for which the deadline to accept was today. The young forward will still be a restricted free agent at the end of the contract in 2020.

Burakovsky, 24, was acquired by the Avalanche earlier this offseason after playing the last five years with the Washington Capitals. The 23rd-overall pick from 2013 has already amassed 328 regular season games with the Capitals, recording 145 points. Those total include consecutive seasons of 25 points, a disappointing drop that made the talented Austrian available. The Capitals couldn’t afford to keep Burakovsky around for that $3.25MM price tag, but the Avalanche are happy to take a shot on a player that had previously looked like a top-six winger in the making.

It’s difficult to find players with Burakovsky’s skill and size combination, but unfortunately that mix still hasn’t been able to produce a huge offensive season to this point. With a career-high of 38 points now several years behind him, Burakovsky will have to find a different level of success in order to deserve this contract and avoid going non-qualified next summer. Even the Avalanche, who have plenty of cap space at the moment, won’t be able to pay $3.25MM for a 12-goal winger, the total he has reached in each of the past three seasons.

It certainly appears as though he’ll the the opportunity to show he is better than that. The Avalanche have been reliant on their top line for a huge amount of their offense the past few years, but worked hard this summer to expand their attack and bring in some more secondary scoring options. Burakovsky joins Nazem Kadri and Joonas Donskoi as potential options for the second line, though each of them will have to prove their worth in new surroundings.

At the very worst, Burakovsky is a lottery ticket that doesn’t pay out and only cost the Avalanche a pair of draft picks. At best, he finally breaks out and becomes the dominant offensive piece he was in junior. Not a bad gamble for a team looking to make a splash in the Western Conference playoffs this season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Anaheim Ducks Hire Kevin Dineen As AHL Coach

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The Anaheim Ducks recently promoted their AHL head coach Dallas Eakins to the NHL, leaving a vacancy behind the bench for the San Diego Gulls. That vacancy has been filled today with the announcement of Kevin Dineen as the team’s next head coach. GM Bob Murray released a short statement on the hiring:

Kevin brings more than 30 years of valuable experience as a player and coach in professional hockey. We are committed to continue a winning tradition in San Diego, and Kevin will help the organization achieve those goals.

Dineen, 55, played 19 seasons in the NHL and amassed 760 points in 1,188 regular season games. A two-time 40-goal scorer, he was also a strong defensive forward that would never back down from a physical engagement—he recorded 2,229 penalty minutes over his long playing career. Immediately joining the Columbus Blue Jackets front office after his retirement, Dineen was quickly promoted to assistant general manager before eventually taking on the head coaching job for the Portland Pirates of the AHL.

After spending several years in the minor league coaching ranks, Dineen was given his first chance at the NHL level when he was hired as head coach of the FLorida Panthers in 2011. He led the Panthers to a 38-26-18 record and their first playoff appearance in more than a decade in his first season with the team, but things didn’t go so smoothly in the following year and just 17 games into his third season he was fired. Dineen would end up coaching the Canadian women’s team at the 2014 Olympics, winning gold.

He had served as an assistant coach with the Chicago Blackhawks for the last several seasons, but was fired along with head coach Joel Quenneville last November.

Islanders Agree To Terms With Simon Holmstrom

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The New York Islanders have agreed to terms with Simon Holmstrom on a three-year entry-level contract. Holmstrom was the team’s first pick, 23rd overall, in this June’s draft.

As with many players taken in the back half of the first round, Holmstrom comes to the Islanders as a prospect with widely different potential outcomes. An excellent skater with and without the puck, he can dance through the competition or catch the opposition on the backcheck. He has had tons of success in the Swedish junior leagues, but has played only a pair of games in the SHL and is still quite raw.

Part of that is due to several injuries that took him off the ice for long chunks of the 2018-19 season, but those setbacks may also be the only reason he was available for the Islanders so late in the first round. Expected to stay in Sweden for the 2019-20 season, if he can get some experience and success at a higher level there could be a quick path to the NHL for the 18-year old.

Ottawa Senators Sign Michael Carcone

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The Ottawa Senators have signed another player who spent much of last season with the Toronto Maple Leafs organization. Michael Carcone has inked a two-year two-way deal with the Senators after coming over as part of the Nikita Zaitsev–Cody Ceci trade. Carcone was a restricted free agent, and will now have a $700K salary in the NHL.

Now 23, the undrafted Carcone has played three seasons in the AHL after signing with the Vancouver Canucks in 2016. Sent to Toronto in exchange for Josh Leivo partway through the 2018-19 season, he ended up as a key offensive piece for the Toronto Marlies on another long Calder Cup playoff run. Carcone set career-highs with 20 goals and 44 points in the regular season, before adding ten more in 13 playoff contests.

A late-bloomer that only played two seasons in the QMJHL, Carcone will serve as forward depth for the Senators and another name to throw into the roster battles this fall. Ottawa’s lineup is wide open for players like this to make a name for themselves, and it seems likely that Carcone will get to make his NHL debut at some point over the duration of this two-year deal. At the very least he’ll be a solid addition for the Belleville Senators next season.

Slava Voynov To Sign In The KHL

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Monday: The deal has officially been announced. Voynov will return to the KHL for one season.

Sunday: While Slava Voynov was hoping to return to the NHL for the upcoming season, that won’t be the case.  Sport-Express’ Igor Eronko reports (Twitter link) that the defenseman has agreed to a one-year contract with Avangard Omsk of the KHL.

It will be his first action since 2017-18 as Voynov sat out all of last season while he tried to get back into the NHL.  That never came to fruition and back in April, he was suspended for the entirety of the 2019-20 season as additional punishment from his domestic abuse incident back in 2014; that initial conviction was dismissed three years later.  Meanwhile, his suspension was cut in half back in May.

The Kings continue to hold Voynov’s NHL rights and have indicated that they have no intentions of trying to bring him back.  It appears that no other team wanted to trade for those rights so Voynov will now return home for next season.  It’s worth noting that out clauses are not permissible in KHL deals so don’t expect him to try to catch on with an NHL team midseason once his suspension is up.  It appears that his return, if there’s ever going to be one, won’t be until 2020-21 at the earliest.

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